Stock car



l.v v. EDGERTON sTocx CAR Filed Nov. l2, 1928 M if 5' Sheets-Sheet l ug. 23,` 1932. v l. v. EDGERTON 1,872,703

v sTocK CAR Filed Nov. 12, 1928, 5 sheets-sheet g2 Aug. 23, 1932. l. v. EDGERTON L87273 STOCK CAR Filed Nov. l2, 1.928 5 Sheets-Shen 3 @GGO Gamba@ Q1 15 12 2123 20 5942 Zlgzjj n @vzmh IS-Pcw MEQ/femm Aug. 23,1932. 1. v. EDGERTQN 19372303 STOCK CAR Filed Nov. 12, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 l. V. EDGER TON v y -sToGK CAR 87273 Fil d e Nov. l2. 1928 5 Sheets Sh eet 5 Patented Aug. 23, 1932 re v. @nerim-0N, or Unwired frIsLINoIs, rSsGNoR -To :Nom-H' -AivrnnroAN CAE- oonronerrori, onornohoo, rnmors, fAoonronAfrro-Nor ILLINOIS..v

This liirfeneionA frltes to packers of live stook coinshippers and humaineftraf-ns'porttlon 'Condi- 'fortabife rand tions not only aocord live stook,

lose by injury-mid-death of a'iiirh-'afie'in transit.

ieee of 'ehe presen-t maximum 'utilization fof the toiah interiorl spese of the oer 'for transportation .=p1i'rposes,l 953 but Will provide greatly limproved loa-ding, housing7 feeding. `and .watering .fcondivciond en d will eliminate or greatly/reduce 'rhefhaz-Y 1 erde and dangers of-discomfort'fandinjnry.

to the stock'while rn iin-ainsi@ and "elimina-te. 14mroiihle amd. expense of unloading f :ind reloading the :Stocken tranisitlfonfiong.

i: the time,

tire oar 'fromeithe'r side thereof, differiti-ng fthe stock into the ooiiipartm'ents'a ei'h'erfsideg'ofj n the aisle at will; toprovide "ainultpi'e o'r'- l c` feed oipemng pertinent oar ofthe. t'ype letribofeinentied With a @roes-'over at eao'hleel from the, pertinent on oneside to the opposite ooripa'rtment,V with loading andy unloadlngdoors on through one door l; and roprcwide,` inaesooi-ir# 50 tion with 'such oross-overs5fmee-ns for closing;

dyifor t following detaileddeeoiiptiongtaken in Cnnectlon with Jshe accompanying dr'a'w'v-infgs,y

with public-:sentiment :md satisfy laws governing the shipment Aof but. are profitdbiethroiigh the substantial reduction eiiectedtherby lifn ihe,

combine v thefsme so is 'to separate fthe commitments thereby. f ein einer objects and. :men-enit neven- Y tages-'0f eeh-e invent-1011 'will be fappaierfnft persons eifziiiaiey -in f the are .as @he 55*- comee betfter undersood by-refe're'noe tolth'e wherehli I have illustrated one pra@ i'cal .structurel 'forli-lof @he invention esembodied m ln'a 'stock foar heretofore inegde fand tsted, andin'fwhich i 'Fg. 1 is mdiagramati'o p1an""seotion, showing the'd'iveion 'of the -inerior Spce of the-oer.; i v v Fig. 2 se vertical :longitudinal section through the loading and unloading end/off the ioaryonfthelime-QQ of. '1-2;

fF f3 iis alplanseot'onon "the line of Fig. 2;

Fig.: 4 is i a vertic'vl 4jrilnsverSe Section" throug-hffh'e loading-and unloading end df the earfonthe'line lleg- 'ofldiwg. 4l; 1 'Fi/g.' ''.is vv'ertioal transverse sietion through .the intermediate poriion `lof :the Car, 7 j; onftihe 'line 5;?) 'ofiFi'g. 1.; f Figi-6 :is yelfde'tail vertio'ail s'eotionon line-1 6 6 of lfifgh.k 13showing 'elevation one-"of To l Fig. 7 is a sectionalfdetilfofFifgk-Gyfookf 8p,

Y in front Wzdl of a compartiment-g .rig-,11 is e, @menigeen-@nen im@ nin f 1Q ie efragmentaryeevtion of fa gate llook;vlevfedin the direction of 'the-5541"'` '95"' roWslQf, 12 of higLQ.- both sides of theoar, -so vthahthe compartments on both sides can bedoaded end-unloaded f space 3'v ofthe car, A :designates the side 'Wa-11e Referring; yfirst to Fig.. i,l which is die: gram fshioWin-g the 'divieionofathe interior aiidB the-end Walls 'ofthe Usual reotengtl# loof vertical bars V12 to lar car body, one of the end walls having a through the door openings L, the animals.'

grated Ventilating opening C with a slidlng door D therefor. E designates a pair of longitudinal lattice-work partitions that form the inner walls of longitudinal tiers of stock compartments designated by F, that eX- tend along the opposite sides of the car. Between the walls E is a longitudinal aisle Gr, which at one end opens into a state room H at one end of the car, and at its other end is terminated by a transverse portion I located a short distance inwardly of the end wall B. Opposed compartments F are adapted to communicate with eachother by a floor or platform K constituting a cross-over, this cross-over being located opposite and between the loading and unloading openings Lv in the side walls A; said openings being guarded by the usual sliding doors M. N

ldesignates each of a pair of sliding gates which control communication of the crossover K with the compartments F on either side thereof.

Referring now to the structural features of the car more in detail, by reference to Fig. 5, it Will be seen that on either side of the longitudinal asile G are tiers of superposed compartments F; the floor 10 of the car forming the floor of the lowermost compartments, and the floors of the intermediate and top compartments being indicated at'vll.

The inner vertical walls of the compartments, as best shown in Fig. 2, are of lattice-work form, comprising principally inner and outer groups of vertical bars 12 and 13, respectively, extending the full height of the three compartments and spaced sufficiently to accommodate horizontal bars 14 therebetween, this arrangement also being well shown in the cross-sectional view, F ig.`

5. As herein shown, there are three (upper, intermediate, and lower) horizontal bars 14 in the front wall of each compartment, and the horizontal and vertical bars are suiiiciently spaced to provide feed openings between them.

The narrow transverse partition I which bounds one end of the aisle G preferably comprises, as best shown in Fig. 4, a pair of spaced vertical bars 15 and cross bars 16 connecting the same substantially mid height 0f the several compartments. The vertical bars 15 are set inwardly sufficiently from the provide space for a pair of sliding gates 17 which control communication of the compartments on the outer sides thereof with the intermediate,cross-over K. As shown in Fig. 4, upper and lower slideways 18 and 19 are provided .for the upper and lower edges of the gates 17. To openthe gates, they are slid rearwardly into the aisle spaced, as illustrated in the case of the lowermo'st gate in Fig. 2; this being done when loading the compartment with stock has access to the feed troughs.

first being directed across the cross-over Ii into the remote compartment until the lat-- ter is filled, the gates 17 then being closed, and the animals then being directed into the near compartment until that is filled.

For feeding and watering the stock while in transit and without unloading, I provide in the center aisle, and disposed in front of the lower edge of each compartment, a plurality of feed troughs 20, which, as most clearly shown in Fig. 5, are removably supported in U-shaped hanger brackets 21 that areclipped onto the upper edge of the lowermost horizontal bar 14 of each compartment front wall. In connection with this particular bar 14, I desire to point out that it is disposed in lower-edge contact with the compartment floor 11, and the joint between the bar and the iioor is filled with cement or other waterproof material, indicated at 22, for the purpose of forming a leak-proof joint, which effectively prevents water and dirt from the floor of the compartment leaking down into an underlying feed trough or onto the floor of the aisle. The is a feature of large importance in point of sanitation and clean feeding.

The feed troughs 20 are designed mainly to accommodate drinking water and small feed such as grain. To provide for more bulky feed, such as hay, I equip the center aisle with aseries of pivoted feed racks 23, of which several independent racks are provided lengthwise of each compartment except the lowermost, the iioor of the aisle serving the purpose of the feed rack for the lowermost compartments. In the arrangement shown, the feed racks are pivoted at 24 to brackets 25 projecting into the aisle from the vertical posts 12, and, when in lowered position, are supported at their free edges by angle bar ledges 26 secured to the front wall of the opposite compartments. When not in use the feed racks are swungupwardly, as shown in the case of the topmost rack in Fig. 5, the free edge of the rack being held by a hinged keeper 27. Except at feeding time, all the racks are in upwardly folded position so as to permit unimpeded movement of the attendant through the longitudinal aisle from end to end of the compartments.

By reference to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the crossover K between opposed compartments is of sufficient width to permit the introduction of a pair of feed troughs thereon, said feed troughs lying in front of the sliding gates 17, which latter, when closed, provide feed openings through which the stock In this porn tion of the car the feed racks 23, of course, are not required, since hay can readily be supplied to the spaces between the gates 17, either with or without withdrawing the feed troughs 20. By vreference to Fig. 5, it will e the compartment.

a vertically'slotted keeper 36 (Fig.

be l.noted fthat the feed racks 23 areV slightly narrower .than :the aisle itself, but the edges of Said racks overlap the inner edges-of lthe underlying .troughs 20,fso that fthe'racks and the latches -upwardly to the dottedsline position :shown .in Fig. 12, :the sliding ,gates 4are unlocked .and may lbe moved Yout of the way to vpermit movement of the stock over the cross-over.

Where 'animals'are loaded into :a Astock car.,

or a longitudinal compartment of a stock car, in a more or less crowded condition, serious injuries 'often occur through the sud-- den application -of the brakes and-the vquick stopping ofthe car. To prevent this, it has heretofore been proposed toy provide at short intervals baille gates which can vbelocked ina position to 'separate the animals into small groups. My present invention contemplates lthe -use of improved lbaille gates which can be easily and quick-ly :locked 4in service position, and as easily and quickly unlocked Aand swung out of service `position to permit 'offfull loading and unloading of The details `of this baille gateare Abest-shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, where it will 1be :seen that the gate is a lattice struc.- tu-re consistingwof intersecting vertical and horizontal YbarsY 30 and 31, respectively, `that 'f are suspended `by hinge str-aps 32 from a hinge rod 33 mounted inY :and crosswise of the roofof each compartment. Pivoted 'at 34 on the gate-fis a locking bar 35. which, when in locking position, is engaged at one end in 7) on the inner side of the front wall of the compartment, and at its other end by a vertically slotted keeper 37 on the inner side ofthe rear wall of the compartment. By reaching through the front wall and tilting the locking bar 35 to the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 6 the baille gate is unlocked, and may then be swung upwardly to the full-line position shown in Fig. 8, wherein it is engaged 'and upheld by a suspension hook 38 hanging from the roof of the compartment. When the gate is lowered, the locking bar 35 is drawn down to horizontal position, its ends automatically entering the slotted keepers 36 and 37. This device constitutes a very simple, easily manipulated, and efficient baille for dividing a compartment load of stock into 'smaller groups while in transit.

Itis occasionally necessary to remove from a compartment sick or dead animals; and to facilitate this `l provide atfsuitable :intervals lengthwise of the front wal'l1of'1each com` pantment unloading spaces by y-a -sufficiently wide spacingfofadjacent vertical'bars 43 and l2, 'asshow-n, for example` -artfthefcenter of Fig. 2. To prevent the vescape of live "ani mals thirough such opening,v[provide'a shiftable fgu'ard tbar 39., shown in detail :in Figs. Zand 9. .':llhisr-guard bar is of a height slightly less than 1the .height 'of a compartment and is longitudinally slotted, as show-n at 40, to

a sufficiently large opening is presented for the removal 'of the sick or dead animal into thefaisle.

,The fee d-openings between the intermediate and lowermost horizontal bars 44 of each compartment areof a size te accommodate average or medium 1sized sheep, hogs and the like, but they .may be large enough to permit the escape -therethrough of small and un'derssized animals, which occasionally get 'into 'a stock shipment. With a "view to safeguarding against such a contingency,Ipre'ferablyfequip each compartment front wall with -an auXi-liary Eguard bar 43 somewhat narrower than the horizontal Ibars 14 yand disposed between and in the vertical plane of the' intermediate and-lowerrnost bars 14. To support the auxiliary guard lbar 43 I sec-ure 'to certain of the vertical-bars 13 supporting brackets 44, eachV provided with a Alower seat 45 (Fig. 11) and an upper seat46. The bar 43 norma-lily occupies the upper seat 46, 'but when Irinden-sized Vanimals are found in the shipment, or when the V*ent-ire shipment may consist of animals smallfenough to work through the feedopenings, the 'bar 43 is shifted to the lower seats 45, thereby substantially'reducing thefheighlt Y and area 'of `the feed openings, and thus pre-A venting the escape -Iofthe animals risnto the aisle. By locating the auxiliary guard b'a'r 43 in the vertical plane of the horizontal..

compartment 4barsf14, 'aisle fspaceis saved,

since the fauXilia-ryiguardbar does not proj ect.

into the raisle.

rlhe topmost compartment lofl feach Ytier is so high that itis no't readily reached by an.

attendant standing -on 'the floor ofthe aisle.

To facilitate access by the attendant 'to the topmost l"compar-tments, l prov-ide foot supf ports, which conveniently consist simply 'of bars 47 f( Fig. 5) attached to lthe inner walls of the flowerfmost compartments on the :aisleiside v of said walls. By standing on the bars47, the attendant may readily reach the feed'tnoughs and feed .racks l'of the `topmost compartments,

aswell ras' manipu'latevthe ventilators fthe.

ich

iis

roof of the car and any other accessories lo- 'i cated at relatively high points.

The manner in which the car is utilized for `the humane and safe transportation of live stock has been to. a considerable extent already indicated. Since loading doors are provided on both sides of the car, it makes no difference on which side the loading platform may be located. The side doors M having been opened, and the sliding gates controlling the cross-overs having" been shifted intothe aisle, the lowermost compartments are first filled by driving the animals first into the remote compartment and then into the near compartment, and then closing the sliding gates at the cross-over. rIhen, by means of elevated runways reaching to the levels ofv the second and third compartments, the latter are similarly filled. In unloading, the same operations are performed in the reverse order. The compartments are of ample height to permit the animals to stand erect so that they suffer no discomfort from being crowded into unnatural positions. The animals may be fed and watered at regular inter-- vals while in transit without the trouble and delay of unloading on long hauls. Comparative tests with ordinary stock cars have demonstrated a. reduction of approximately sevfenty per cent. of the shrinkage in weight of the stock during shipment.

I claim:

1. In a stock car, the combination with a car'body having doors in its sides adjacent one end thereof, of tiers of compartments extending lengthwise of the sides of the car body and of a combined width less than the Width of the car, and cross-overs connecting laterally opposite compartments between said doors, said compartments and cross-overs forming a longitudinal aisle of less length than the car.

2. In a stool( car, the combination with a car body having doors in its sides adjacent one end thereof, of tiers of compartments extending lengthwise of the sides of the car body and of a combined width less than the width of the car, cross-overs connecting laterally opposite compartments between said doors, and gates guarding said cross-overs.

3. In a stock car, the combination with a car body having doors in its sides adjacent Y one end thereof, of tiers of compartments eX- tending lengthwise of the sides of the car Vbody and each of a width less than half the width of the car, thereby forming a center aisle between said tiers, cross-overs connecting laterally opposite compartments between said doors, and a pair of gates in each crossover respectively controlling communication of the latter with the compartmentson either side thereof.

4. In a stock car, the combination with a car body having doors in its sides adjacent one end thereof, of tiers of compartments extending lengthwise of the sides of the car body and each of a width less than half the width of the car, thereby forming a center aisle between said tiers, cross-overs connecting laterally opposite compartments between said doors, and sliding gates at the junctions of each cross-over with the compartments which it serves, said gates being slidable into said aisle to open them.

'5. In a stock car, the combination with a car body having doors in its sides adjacent one end thereof, of tiers of compartments extending lengthwise ofthe sides of thel car body and spaced to form a longitudinal aisle, cross-overs v*connecting laterally opposite compartments between said doors, sliding` gates at the junctions of cach cross-over with the compartments which it serves, said gates being slidable into said aisle to open them, and means for llocking said gates in closed position.

6. In a stock car, the combination with a car body having oppositely located doors in its sides, of tiers of compartments extending lengthwise of the sides of the car body and spaced to form between them a longitudinal aisle, cross-overs connecting laterally opposite compartments between said doors, and a pair of gates in each cross-over respectively controlling communication of the latter with the compartments on either side thereof.

7. In a stock car, the combination with a car body having oppositely located doors in its sides, of tiers of compartments extending lengthwise of the sides of the car body and spaced to form between them a longitudinal aisle, cross-overs connecting laterally opposite compartments between'said doors, fixed partitions between said cross-overs and said aisle, and a pair of gates in each cross-over respectively controlling communication of the latter with the compartments on either side thereof. f

ISRAEL V. EDGERTON. 

